Sports News

Former undisputed middleweight world champion 'Marvelous' Marvin Hagler has died. The American dominated the middleweight division from 1979 until his controversial defeat by Sugar Ray Leonard in April 1987.

"Today, unfortunately my beloved husband Marvelous Marvin passed away unexpectedly at his home here in New Hampshire," his wife Kay Hagler said. He fought 67 times during his 14-year professional career, winning 62. He triumphed on 52 occasions by knockout, while he drew two and lost three times.

In September 1980, Hagler fought Britain's Alan Minter at Wembley Stadium to claim his first world titles, winning the WBA and WBC belts. It followed Minter’s controversial outburst when, before the bout he said that he would never be beaten by a Black man. His most famous fight came in April 1985 when he fought Thomas 'Hit Man' Hearns over three brutal rounds - a classic known as 'The War'.

In 1982, he legally changed his name to "Marvelous Marvin Hagler because network announcers often did not refer to him by his nickname ‘Marvelous.’

He made 12 successful title defences until his defeat by Leonard by a split decision and he retired a year later. Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis tweeted: "The world is one great man less today.

"This one hits so hard also because he was the one I emulated my own training camps after when I saw how seriously he took his training camps." He added: "Not only was he a living legend, but I was proud to call him my friend. He was so full of life, energy and positivity in our conversations that you would never guess what a wrecking machine he was in the ring.

"Our wives would speak on the phone to connect us and I'll miss his voice saying 'It's Marvelous' on the other end of the line. Boxing lost an all-time great today," said promoter Frank Warren.

Former world featherweight champion Barry McGuigan said he was "shocked and deeply saddened" to hear of the "incredible" Hagler's death. The Irishman added: "I'm honoured to have spent some amazing times with him. My heartfelt sympathies to his wife Kay and his family. Rest in Peace Champ."

British heavyweight Derek Chisora said Hagler was "one of the greatest".

Before the world super flyweight unification fight between Juan Estrada and Roman Gonzalez in Dallas on Saturday night, a "memorial count of 10" was led by ring announcer Michael Buffer, with the bell rung 10 times in Hagler's memory.

Hagler, an inductee of the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame, was 66.

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha became the first Premier League player not to take a knee before kick-off as he stood before Saturday's win over West Brom, an action he hopes will highlight that more needs to be done to fight racism. In a statement, the 28-year-old said he "will continue to stand tall".

In February the Ivory Coast international said that he would no longer follow the initiative adopted in the Premier League last season after clubs started to take a knee before kick-off to support the Black Lives Matter movement, which rose to prominence following the death of George Floyd in the United States in May 2020.

He said: "My decision to stand at kick-off has been public knowledge. There is no right or wrong decision, but for me personally I feel kneeling has just become a part of the pre-match routine and at the moment it doesn't matter whether we kneel or stand, some of us still continue to receive abuse."

Crystal Palace captain Luka Milivojevic says he is fully behind the stance that has been adopted by his team-mate. He said: "I support him 100%. We are taking a knee to show an example so, when kids see, they are asking why are players doing that. Wilfried is going further, he did it the other way, and I respect him 100%."

Palace manager Roy Hodgson added: "I would be surprised if there is anyone who has suggested for one minute that he is doing it because he doesn't care. He's doing it because he cares perhaps too much. He is making a strong statement. He doesn't think the things we are doing are having the same impact as they were at the beginning."

Zaha joins Championship clubs Derby, Bournemouth and Brentford in no longer taking part in the gesture pre-match. Earlier this season, Queens Park Rangers also stopped the gesture after director of football Les Ferdinand said its impact had been diluted. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has said taking the knee will continue until the end of the season but there will be fresh talks with players over the most effective way to move forward.

With 500 days to go until the start of Birmingham 2022, organisers have unveiled plans to deliver the first ever carbon-neutral Commonwealth Games. Outlined in its newly published sustainability pledge, Birmingham 2022 has laid clear a series of commitments and the steps it will take with the aim of achieving this milestone, as well as other operational workstreams that will help it become the most sustainable Commonwealth Games to date.

A critical part of this commitment is the forming of a new partnership with Severn Trent. Becoming Birmingham 2022’s Official Nature & Carbon Neutral Supporter, Severn Trent will be responsible for delivering a series of initiatives that help offset the carbon generated by the Commonwealth Games and hopes to leave a positive social and environmental legacy of sustainability in the West Midlands.

Two of the standout initiatives that Severn Trent will be delivering on behalf of Birmingham 2022 include the creation of 2022 acres of forest, as well as 72 tennis-court-sized mini forests, to be built in urban areas across the West Midlands. Each mini forest will be linked to one of the nations and territories competing at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. The 2022 acres of forest, intended to be based in the West Midlands, will feature native species, and will not only help local people reconnect with nature, but will also help offset the carbon generated by the Games.

Improving the natural environment has a positive impact on natural water sources, which is why alongside already pledging to be a net zero carbon organisation by 2030, Severn Trent has committed to planting 1.3 million new trees and enhancing 5,000 hectares of biodiversity as part of its existing Great Big Nature Boost initiative.

Ian Reid, Chief Executive of Birmingham 2022 said: “We have always had strong ambitions to set new standards in all we do with these Commonwealth Games and make significant progress in areas that matter. 

“Our plan not only outlines how we will continue to support the regionwide economic recovery, but also demonstrates how we will leave a credible piece of social and environmental legacy. 

“Our new partnership with Severn Trent is incredibly important to achieving these ambitions, and it sets a compelling benchmark for how we deliver on all aspects of sustainability over the next 18 months.  Our commitment to become the first carbon-neutral Games is a significant one, and this marks just the start of our journey to make these Commonwealth Games the most sustainable to date”. 

CEO of Severn Trent, Liv Garfield, said: ‘’We’re delighted to be partnering with the Commonwealth Games and to play a leading role in helping make Birmingham 2022 the most sustainable games ever.  We’re passionate about making a positive impact on the communities and the environment where we live and operate, and to the lives of everyone that we serve. 

“And that’s why we just had to be involved. Through this exciting partnership we’ll build on our existing work and ambitions to deliver lasting social and environmental change by creating new green urban spaces, further enhancing biodiversity, promoting plastic-free thinking and ultimately delivering a carbon neutral legacy for generations to come.’’

CGF President, Dame Louise Martin said: “Birmingham 2022’s plan to stage the first ever carbon-neutral Commonwealth Games is an historic moment for Commonwealth Sport. It reinforces our commitment to ensure that the Games leaves a positive social and environmental legacy for generations to come.

“The creation of 2022 acres of forest, as well as 72 new urban forests in the West Midlands, is an inspired initiative that will provide numerous benefits for the local community. This will set a long-term blueprint for future Commonwealth Games that will make our event a global leader when it comes to staging sustainable, environmentally-sound sporting competition. I would like to give special recognition to our excellent team at CGF Partnerships (CGFP) in securing Birmingham 2022’s Official Nature & Carbon Neutral Supporter.  Severn Trent is the perfect partner to help us deliver a carbon neutral legacy and we are delighted to be working with them.”

Nigel Huddleston, Minister for Sport and Tourism said: "I'm delighted to support Birmingham 2022's ambition to be the first ever carbon-neutral Commonwealth Games. I hope this will set a new standard for major events as we look to build back greener and play our part in building a more sustainable future for us all.”

In addition to the ambition on carbon, and further detailed in its newly published sustainability pledge Birmingham 2022 lays clear the seven key pillars it will work on to become the most sustainable Commonwealth Games to date, including:

1.       Addressing carbon and air quality

Birmingham 2022 aims to be the first carbon neutral Commonwealth Games. It has conducted an independent, credible analysis of the Games likely carbon footprint to determine the baseline. The primary goal is to reduce carbon at every possible opportunity and offset what remains through credible initiatives with support from Severn Trent. The Games will also help the region to change the way it thinks about sustainable travel as it actively encourages the use of public transport and active travel to reduce congestion. This will help directly improve air quality, as well as overall health and wellbeing. Birmingham 2022 is working with experts on maximising the use of cleaner generators, supplying a modern and cleaner bus fleet, and aspiring to develop a car fleet containing hybrid and electric vehicles. In addition, the three-site campus village model which will see some athletes staying close to their training and competition sites will support us to reduce travel and carbon emissions.

2.       Promoting a circular economy (reducing and encouraging waste reduction)

Birmingham 2022 will work with subcontractors to reduce waste across the full Games footprint. It will also install free drinking-water refill points wherever possible to encourage people to use refillable water bottles. Additionally, wherever possible the Games will hire rather than buy equipment, and where it does buy equipment it will repurpose, reuse, and redistribute as many assets as possible at the end of the Games

3.       Delivering new conservation initiatives

The contractors working on the new Sandwell Aquatics Centre and Alexander Stadium developments, are being actively encouraged to increase the levels of biodiversity and bring improvements to the local environment. Furthermore, the Games partners will clean and clear 22 miles of canals through the ‘United by 2022’ partnership that exists with The Canals & Rivers Trust.  Conservation and sustainability will become core themes as part of the Games’ regional and international education programmes, and it will continue to work with expert organisations such as the National Trust, Environment Agency, and Carbon Trust, to make sure all activities are credible and measurable.

4.       Setting new standards in accessibility

The Games will offer the largest fully integrating para-sports programme in history.  This means accessibility has been firmly embedded from the outset in early planning for the Games and its existence. Offering access to sport for all means providing accessible venues, facilities, and barrier-free environments so that these once in a lifetime Games can be enjoyed by everyone and it is possible to do that independently. Birmingham 2022 has an ambition to reduce the disability employment gap. As a Disability Confident Employer the Games continues to review its processes to remove barriers for paid roles and volunteering opportunities to make them accessible to all.  Birmingham 2022 is also working to deliver the best accessibility standards across the Games, going beyond best practice for other major multi-sport events.

5.       Embedding Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in all aspects of Games delivery

The Games will be an event that is inclusive to all, regardless of gender, age, race, sexuality, ethnicity, or socio-economic background. We will actively seek to recruit a diverse workforce and build an inclusive environment for our employees as well as thousands of volunteers that are representative of the region and we will be transparent about workforce demographics; it will host the first Commonwealth Games with more female medal events than male medal events, and the largest ever integrated para sport programme; and provide an accessible ticketing policy to maximise participation across the local community.

6.       Promoting social value through all practices

The Games will provide jobs to try and help reduce unemployment and serve to upskill the workforce of the West Midlands. It will create around 40,000 new jobs and skills opportunities through its wider supply chain including over 12,500 volunteering roles. This will aid regional recovery from the economic impact of the pandemic, as well as helping to reduce poverty and exclusion. By measuring social value, we will contribute to how other publicly funded events and organisations could evidence social value and added benefits.  

7.       Ensure human rights are at the heart of the Games

The Games will align with all Human Rights law and UN best-practices, embedding human rights training at every level of the Games team’s structure to incorporate ethical trading, safeguarding, and freedom of speech. Furthermore, the Games will require all contractors and suppliers to demonstrate robust anti-slavery and anti-human trafficking measures.

The Birmingham 2022 sustainability pledge is intrinsically aligned to the Commonwealth Games Federations’ impact areas of peace, sustainability and prosperity as well as the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals are clear and compelling, and task us all to work together to drive positive environmental, social, and economic outcomes by 2030.

Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “As a city that aims to take a leading role in tackling climate change, there is so much in this sustainability pledge and the partnership plans with Severn Trent that complements what we are already doing.

“We have stated through our own Route To Zero project that we want to get to net zero carbon in the shortest possible time and only this month were reconfirmed as a Tree City of the World. The other social and economic pillars of the sustainability pledge also resonate strongly with everything we are doing at a city level. This pledge, when delivering on its ambitions, will undoubtedly bolster our efforts to improve life in Birmingham.”

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: “The West Midlands is facing a very serious climate emergency, and in order to reach our #WM2041 goal of carbon neutrality by 2041 there are going to have to be some very radical steps taken.

“Today’s announcement about the Commonwealth Games being the first ever carbon-neutral games is exactly that, and the organisers alongside Severn Trent deserve enormous praise for such a bold and courageous move that sets a precedent right across the globe. We’re looking forward to working with Severn Trent on the really exciting plans to create 2022 acres of forest across the region in places that will benefit people across the West Midlands.”

“The move to carbon-neutrality for the Games should also help create thousands of jobs across the West Midlands, working hand in glove with my plan to get 100,000 people into work in the next two years to help the region recover from the economic damage the Covid-19 pandemic has caused.”

A team of 25 amateur cyclists will begin riding the full 21 stages of the 2021 Tour de France route, one week ahead of the professionals in exactly 100 days. The Tour 21, which takes place from Saturday 19^th June – Sunday 11^th July, aims to raise in excess of £1,000,000 for national blood cancer charity Cure Leukaemia and the team are halfway to their fundraising total after recently surpassing £500,000.

Cure Leukaemia, which was announced as the first ever official Charity Partner of the Tour de France in the UK for the next three years, recorded a £1,500,000 fundraising shortfall in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and The Tour 21 team, which was increased from 20 to 25 riders after this event’s postponement last summer, aim to help the charity address this shortfall in funding by completing all 3,384km of the world’s most famous and prestigious professional cycling event.

All funds raised by The Tour 21 team will be invested in the national Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP) which has been solely funded by Cure Leukaemia since January 2020. TAP is a network of specialist research nurses at 12 blood cancer centres located in the UK’s biggest cities and a facilitatory hub based at the Centre for Clinical Haematology in Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital. This network enables accelerated setup and delivery of potentially life-saving blood cancer clinical trials to run giving patients from a UK catchment area of over 20 million people access to treatments not currently available through standard care.

Leading the team on his final Tour de France challenge is ex-England footballer, blood cancer survivor and Cure Leukaemia Patron Geoff Thomas, 56, who said: “We all know that this event will be gruelling and will test us to the limits both physically and mentally but the reason we are doing it is to raise over £1,000,000 for Cure Leukaemia to claw back the £1,500,000 fundraising shortfall the charity suffered. However tough the challenge is for us it is nothing compared to what blood cancer patients have to go through and I know that from personal experience.

“I am delighted that, as a team, we have reached the halfway mark with our fundraising, but we must keep our foot down now to ensure we can set off from Brittany on June 19^th knowing that we have exceeded £1,000,000 to sustain the TAP network and give hope to the 38,000 people diagnosed with blood cancer in the UK each year.”

Cure Leukaemia Chief Executive James McLaughlin continued: “It is fantastic to see The Tour 21 team reaching £500,000 raised this far out from the start of the event but after such a challenging year in 2020. With a range of sponsorships opportunities still available for this event

including the jersey, team bus and comprehensive video content of the whole 21 stage event, it would be great if companies worldwide could support Geoff and the team surpass their fundraising target.

“With this being Geoff’s final major cycling challenge, we encourage everyone who has supported him over the years can do so once again to ensure he can hang up his cleats knowing this team has made a huge impact for blood cancer patients across the UK.”

Vertu Motors plc, the Gateshead-based motor retail group, has acquired the naming rights to the Eagles Community Arena in Newcastle in a five-year deal.

The purpose-built community, events and sports arena, which is home to the Newcastle Eagles basketball club, the most successful British Basketball team of all time, and the award-winning Eagles Community Foundation, will now be known as the Vertu Motors Arena.

The deal will see signage featuring the Vertu Motors name added to the Scotswood Road venue’s exterior, as well as new branding throughout the popular destination, which will be seen by hundreds of thousands of people visiting the city and watching British Basketball League games live on Sky Sports.

In addition to being the state-of-the-art venue for top-flight men’s and women’s basketball, the venue, which is owned and operated by the charity foundation, is a community and education hub with flexible spaces to host a wide range of business, entertainment and sporting events – ranging from meetings, conferences and weddings across its hospitality spaces up to large scale exhibitions and events in its multi-purpose arena with capacity crowds of up to 3,000 people.

As part of the arena’s firmly rooted commitment to its local area, since the start of the pandemic it has also been utilised as a COVID-19 testing centre, a base for food and sporting activity pack distribution and most recently it became the region’s biggest vaccination centre with up to 5,000 jabs being administered on site over a weekend.

Vertu Motors has a long-standing relationship with both the club and the charity. The region’s most successful sports team’s staff and players drive an iconic fleet of cars from the arena’s neighbouring Vertu Motors Honda dealership, which extended its support further into developing future generations of basketball players by sponsoring teams of young players participating in one of the foundation’s outreach programmes.

Robert Forrester, chief executive of Vertu Motors plc, said: “We are delighted to have our name above the door on this important events, sporting and community venue.

“The Vertu Motors Arena is a standout landmark in the city, which is visited not only by sports fans but businesses and local people and to have our name associated with it is an excellent opportunity for the business.

“The Arena is a hub for the local area, and we are proud to have the chance to support the valuable work the Foundation does and the many community initiatives that make the Arena a genuine community asset.

“Newcastle Eagles are an iconic sports team in the North East and one we are already working in partnership with and to extend that collaboration is extremely exciting.”

Sam Blake, chief executive officer of the Eagles Community Foundation, said: “It’s fantastic to have such an incredible investment from Vertu Motors for the future of the foundation, this venue and our community.

“The past twelve months have been a tough road to walk for all of us, so we hope this news brings a much-needed boost and a smile to all of our Eagles families, friends and volunteers.

“We know everyone is looking forward to the return of sport, leisure, education and events over the coming months and we can’t wait to welcome it all to our newly renamed Vertu Motors Arena.”

It has been announced that Patrice Motsepe is the new president of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) after the South African ran unopposed in elections in Morocco. Known for being one of Africa's richest men, Mr Motsepe is also the owner of 2016 African champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

Patrice Motsepe is the ninth-richest person in Africa, according to Forbes magazine, and one of the country's first black billionaires. The founder and chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, he became a billionaire in 2008 - with Forbes calling him the first African to do so.

His rise in prominence and wealth has not been lost on Black people in a country where oppressive apartheid laws shut out the majority of the population from a good life, not to mention business opportunities, for many decades. He has become a representation of wealth.

Motsepe founded his first mining company in 1994, and started buying low-producing gold mines a few years later at a time when the gold market was experiencing a slump and prices were favourable. Before long, those mines were turned around and made profitable.

His big break was closely linked to the Black Economic Empowerment policies introduced in South Africa to address the inequality created by decades of white-minority apartheid rule, which ended in 1994. Mining companies had to have at least 26% black ownership before a mining licence would be granted. Ever since, Motsepe's mining empire has grown and now has interests in cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper and coal.

Born on 28 January 1962, Motsepe was named after Patrice Lumumba, the first elected prime minister of what is today the Democratic Republic of Congo. As a youngster he first learned about entrepreneurship from his father Augustine Motsepe, a member of the Tswana royal family.

The chief owned a spaza shop (a type of convenience store popular in South Africa's townships) in Hammanskraal, outside the capital, Pretoria. During school holidays, he worked alongside his father as he started to learn the basics of business. Years later, he would qualify as a lawyer and become the first Black partner in one of the country's leading law firms, Bowman Gilfillan.

The father of three also holds a degree in mining and business law from Johannesburg's University of the Witwatersrand. With an estimated net worth of $3bn (£2.15bn), Motsepe is today a mining magnate, investor and owner of Pretoria-based Mamelodi Sundowns, who have won a record 10 titles since South Africa's Premier Soccer League started in 1996.

Not just good at amassing wealth, it seems Motsepe, who has considerable work to do as he bids to revive an ailing Caf, enjoys giving it away too. The philanthropist supports various education and health projects through his foundation, with his love for learning perhaps sparked by being raised by parents who were teachers.

In 2013, Motsepe was the first African to sign Bill Gates' and Warren Buffett's Giving Pledge, committing to give at least half his wealth to charity. Last year, his Motsepe Foundation pledged to donate 1bn rand ($65.6m) to assist the coronavirus pandemic response in South Africa.

Married to Precious Motsepe, a physician and businesswoman in her own right, the future Fifa vice-president is no stranger to the world of politics. South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa is his elder sister's husband, while Jeff Radebe, the country's most experienced minister, is married to another of his sisters.

While everything Motsepe touches seems to turn to gold, he has been targeted by some political parties who have suggested that his powerful family ties give him an unfair advantage. But he has distanced himself from the allegations, adding that he has always "come from money" and that his wealth was not ill-gotten.

Although a household name, Motsepe has rarely courted controversy but last year he became the subject of social media furore over a comment he made at a World Economic Forum dinner Davos. In January 2020, he told then US President Donald Trump : "Africa loves America, Africa loves you" - a comment the controversial statesman was visibly pleased with. Yet it raised the ire of people at the time because of Trump's seemingly callous handling of the Black Lives Matter protests back home. Motsepe later apologised, saying he had no right to speak on behalf of anyone but himself.

His life having been characterised by many firsts, the billionaire has been described as an astute businessman with a good eye for the next "big thing". This would not necessarily bring to mind Caf, as the organisation needs a major overhaul given its struggling finances, associations of corruption in light of his predecessor's ban and poor image in the eyes of both sponsors and the public.

So as he repeatedly stresses the need for the injection of private funds into Caf's coffers, this tycoon now has one of his biggest challenges - namely, restoring credibility to one of Fifa's most troubled confederations.

Former England, Warwickshire and Surrey bowler Joey Benjamin has died after reportedly suffering a heart attack.

Benjamin was born in St Kitts but made his name in English cricket and went on to take 387 first-class wickets in an 11-year career. His only Test came at the Oval against South Africa in 1994 when he took 4-42 in the first innings.

It was remembered for Devon Malcolm's match-winning nine-wicket haul. He also played two one-day internationals for England.

Benjamin signed for Warwickshire in 1988 after a spell in the minor counties before seven years with Surrey between 1992 and 1999.

In a statement Warwickshire said: “It is with great sadness that today Warwickshire County Cricket Club has learned of the passing of former fast bowler Joey Benjamin.

“Benjamin enjoyed four seasons with the Bears where he made 25 first-class and 26 List A appearances, taking a combined 87 wickets across both formats. The thoughts of everyone at Warwickshire CCC are with Joey’s family and close friends at this difficult time.”

"He hustled batsmen and nicked them off with his outswinger. He was a fine bowler and even though he didn't start until pretty late he was unlucky not to play more Test cricket," his former team-mate Martin Bicknell told Surrey's website. "It's come as a massive and terrible shock to all of us that he's been lost to us, he seemed so incredibly fit."

Former England and Yorkshire quick Darren Gough remembered his trip Down Under fondly, calling him “a great tourist” on Twitter.

He was 60.

It has been reported that EFL Championship side Coventry City are close to finalising a deal to return to the Ricoh Arena next season. It is understood a deal with rugby union side Wasps - the owners of the ground - is all but agreed and could be confirmed as early as Friday. The Sky Blues have shared Birmingham's St Andrew's stadium since August 2019.

The English Football League will discuss the issue at a board meeting tomorrow, when some of the details are expected to be signed off. The deal, which contains break clauses, will be for up to 10 years, although Championship side Coventry will be guaranteed a minimum of seven years back at the Ricoh Arena.

Club owners Sisu still aim to build a new stadium on the south-west edge of the city, on land owned by the University of Warwick. An agreement to end Coventry's groundshare deal with Birmingham is yet to be reached, with a significant cost understood to come with ending the deal. Coventry left Highfield Road in 2005 to move to the Ricoh Arena but, after a long-running rent row escalated, they spent the 2013-14 season at Northampton Town's Sixfields.

The Sky Blues returned to the Ricoh in September 2014, followed by Wasps moving in three months later. The ground, part-owned by the city council, was then sold to the Premiership rugby union club. City then spent the next four full seasons there but Sisu could not reach an agreement with Wasps to play the 2019-20 campaign there and found alternative arrangements at St Andrew's.

For the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, the club have been tenants at Birmingham City 's St Andrew's stadium, 22 miles away from the Ricoh Arena. Previously, they were groundsharing at Northampton Town's Sixfields Stadium for three seasons.

Coventry City had been looking at options for a new stadium after being involved in a rent dispute with Ricoh owners Arena Coventry Ltd (ACL).

Plans to utilise the final third of Birmingham City Council’s £6million Commonwealth Games Community Fund are due before the council’s Cabinet on March 16. Under the proposals, the £2million would be invested across three thematic areas:

• Stronger Communities;

• The Commonwealth Games Learning Programme;

• Physical Activity and Wellbeing.

Last year the remaining £4million of the Community Fund was split equally between Creative Communities (focussing on cultural activity) and Celebrating Communities (a project which will see all 69 council wards receive a slice of funding to enable people to embrace the Games at a grassroots level).

The thematic areas detailed in the March 16 Cabinet report are as follows: Stronger Communities (£0.5million) This strand is designed to provide a mechanism for Birmingham citizens to offer constructive challenge, advice and feedback to all Games Legacy workstreams through the creation of a community stakeholder panel, ensuring that tackling inequality is the cross-cutting thread that runs through all Games-related activity the council is involved in.

In addition, the proposed funding will enable the council to work with communities in the city to design and deliver projects falling under three themes – Inclusive City, Connected City and Know Your City – all taking into account learning and feedback from the city’s recent Community Cohesion consultation as well as learning from communities throughout the COVID pandemic.

Physical Activity and Wellbeing (£1million)

A region-wide programme of funding to support physical activity and wellbeing activity is being created as part of the work by Games Partners to secure a legacy from the Commonwealth Games, but the proposed Physical Activity and Wellbeing strand of the council’s community fund gives the opportunity to focus on Birmingham specific activity, enhancing some existing projects that are already underway in the city and to maximise engagement opportunities for residents across the city.

Commonwealth Games Learning Programme (£0.5million)

The Games Learning Programme is set to be delivered by the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee (OC), with the city council involved in key elements of programme design. The £0.5million will be supplied to the OC to support an additional Birmingham-specific targeted strand of activity to ensure young people in every ward of the city have access to at least one Games opportunity either through schools or community participation. This strand is in addition to what will be available at regional and national level.

The aim of the £0.5million investment is to create direct opportunities for at least 100,000 children and young people in Birmingham, working with at least 72 schools across the city as well as a variety of the networks of youth clubs/groups, community partners, sport and cultural organisations and local groups for whom the programme will be widely accessible. Connecting with communities in every council ward, this will be in addition to the core offer of the Learning Programme.

Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “These exciting plans underline how being a Proud Host City can help Birmingham become an even greater place in which to live, work and grow. “We cannot wait to offer a warm welcome to the athletes and officials from 72 competing nations and territories next summer, but the Games are about much more than that for the people of this city. “Through this funding, we aim to bring our communities together, to improve health and wellbeing, reduce inequalities and to inspire our young people.”

British Athletics has confirmed the appointments of Darren Campbell as Head of (short) Sprints and Relays and Tim Benjamin as Head of (long) Sprints and Relays, following an open recruitment process. The decision to split the role of Head of Sprints and Relays into long and short sprints was taken recognising the specialist expertise both candidates bring to this event group. Both roles are part time but offer full time coverage.

The key purpose of this role is to ensure high levels of engagement with targeted athlete-coach pairings and to provide support in line with the Individual Athlete Plan (IAP). As well as liaising closely with those on the World Class Programme, the position will help to support the development and transition of sprinters on the periphery of the programme. It will also ensure any specific sprint camps best prepare and deliver sprint squads into milestone target events. Both Benjamin and Campbell will begin their new roles with immediate effect.

Olympic Head Coach, Christian Malcolm said: “These are great appointments for the sport. Darren and Tim bring a wealth of experience to the roles following their successful careers in and out of the sport. I am pleased to bring them into the team as we continue to support athletes and coaches to achieve their goals during 2021 and beyond.”

Olympic 4x100m relay gold winning champion Darren Campbell said: “I’m really pleased to accept this role and work with Tim, Christian and Sara. I felt like it was the right time to get involved with the sport again. I’m excited by the new leadership and the new direction it’s headed in by putting the athlete first.

“I’ve had experience across the board competing, coaching, mentoring and mediating and understand what the athletes and their coaches will be looking for. When I was competing, I don’t feel we always got what we needed, and support wasn’t offered properly. I know I can bring that experience and help to ensure athletes have what they need to be successful.

“I’m looking forward to putting my energy into this, giving encouragement to the athletes so they can perform when they need to.”

Fellow-sprint relay legend, Tim Benjamin said: “I am delighted to be offered this role alongside Darren. I’ve remained a big fan of athletics throughout my retirement and had always wanted an opportunity to give back to my sport. I’ve had 11 years in the commercial world yet my heart has always been here.

“I had a great competitive career and have worked with world class coaches such as Jock Anderson, Tony Lester, Colin Jackson and Linford Christie. I’ve been exposed to so many differing approaches and I’ve also made my fair share of errors as an athlete which means I can bring this insight and experience to help support the athletes and coaches I work with in this role.”

Following a recruitment process for the Head of Endurance role, no appointment has been made; instead a wider and longer term strategy for endurance will be driven via a wide consultation across a range of stakeholders. Chris Jones will be seconded with the agreement of Welsh Athletics on a two-day a week basis to lead on this project in conjunction with Christian Malcolm and Sara Symington.

Rob Denmark will continue on an interim basis to act up as the main point of contact for those athletes targeting Tokyo until after the Games.

Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free (QDF), the Official Airline and Retail Sponsor of the Qatar Total Open 2021, congratulate Petra Kvitova on being crowned the winner of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) event in Doha after her 6-2, 6-1, victory in last night’s final. This is her second win of the prestigious annual tournament which was held at the state-of-the-art Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, and featured the presence of renowned international female tennis players.

His Excellency Mr Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, said: “I would like to extend my congratulations to Petra Kvitova in securing the this year’s Qatar Total Open 2021 title. Over the years, Qatar Airways has been a proud sponsor of this prestigious tournament, and once again the State of Qatar continues to demonstrate its dedication toward hosting world-class sporting events. We look forward to taking part in future tennis championships for years to come.”

Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Marketing and Corporate Communications, Ms. Salam Al Shawa, said: “Qatar Airways is delighted to congratulate Petra Kvitova after her victorious performance in this year’s annual Qatar Total Open. With every passing season, we are privileged to witness world-class athletes as they entertain us, and bring people of all ages and backgrounds together through sport.”

Mr Thabet Musleh, Qatar Duty Free Vice President Operations, said: “Qatar Duty Free extends heartfelt congratulations to Petra Kvitova on her well-deserved win at the Qatar Total Open 2021.  We thank all the players for an exciting tournament. Thank you also to the WTA 500 and the Qatar Tennis Federation for bringing this global sporting event to Doha each year for spectators to enjoy both here in Qatar and across the world.”    

With its recent announcement as the Official Airline for the UEFA EURO 2020, Qatar Airways’ continues to strengthen its presence in the world of sport; with the likes of FIFA, CONMEBOL, Paris Saint-Germain, AS Roma, Boca Juniors, FC Bayern München, K.A.S. Eupen and Al Sadd SC in the carrier’s global football sponsorship portfolio, further representing its alignment with the national vision of Qatar.

Teenager Kelly Hodgkinson claimed her maiden European senior title as the British team added seven medals to their tally to equal their best haul at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Toruń, Poland winning two gold, four silver and six bronze medals overall. The teenager, who only turned 19 on Wednesday, timed her move around the outside perfectly to take the lead with 250m to go and held her nerve as she ramped up the pace for the final lap.

Despite a late surge from Joanna Józwik (POL), Hodgkinson kicked once again to power across the line in 2:03.88 for her maiden senior title and become the youngest British champion at the event since Marilyn Neufville in 1970. After the race, Hodgkinson exclaimed: “I’m so happy. You never quite understand the shock when it happens. You picture it in your head so many times, but when the reality comes through, it’s just a different feeling. 

“I didn’t really think about the pressure. I am only 19 and I’m still learning and there’s still things that I’m going to learn. I just wanted to keep my same relaxed state like I did in the heats and the semi-final. Me and Trevor (Painter) talked about that and we said not to change anything for the final. I just didn’t want to make any mistakes and I really believed in myself. 

“They trust my instincts. They are really letting me grow into my athlete and Jenny’s Meadows experience is there to tap into if I need it. They said to me ‘just keep the same relaxed state and you’ll know how you feel and what to do’ and that’s what I did.” Teammate Ellie Baker narrowly missed out on bronze, crossing the line fourth in 2:04.40 after a last 50m burn up with Józwik and Angelika Cichocka, with Isabelle Boffey, also making her senior British debut, sixth in 2:07.26.

There was double relay delight for the women’s and men’s 4x400m relay teams as the women’s contingent secured silver in an impressive 3:28.20, with the men’s securing bronze in 3:06.70. Andrew Pozzi became the first British man to claim a medal at the championships as he claimed silver in the 60m hurdles final, equalling his personal best in 7.43s as he cut the tape.

It was a near-flawless run from Pozzi, who got out strongly and was level with France’s Wilhem Belocian at the halfway point. The Briton clipped the fourth hurdle before a lunge for the line saw him claim silver, just 0.01s away from taking the gold. Pozzi said: “It’s an equal PB. I was actually doing really well at the start, I just lost a couple of steps in the middle. It’s a championships and the better man won, so it is what it is. I’m a bit disappointed, but I gave it everything I could”.

In the women’s equivalent, sisters Cindy Sember and Tiffany Porter secured silver and bronze to boost the British medal tally, clocking 7.89s and 7.92s respectively as Nadine Visser of the Netherlands defended her title in a world leading 7.77s. A bold front-run from Jamie Webb in the men’s 800m final saw him rewarded with a bronze in 1:46.95 following a sprint-finish.

It all came down to a sprint finish for the Briton, who had led from the first lap of the race, but as Poland’s Patryk Dobek hit the front at the bell, Webb found himself having to hold off the challenge of Adam Kszczot (POL) and Mateusz Borkowski (POL) in the final 100m on the final bend. Webb gave it his all but could not hold off the challenge of Borkowski, who pipped him to silver on the line in 1:46.90, with Dobek notching a personal best 1:46.81 for gold.

In the men’s 3000m final, Andrew Butchart and Jack Rowe came home in seventh and ninth position respectively, clocking 7:52.15 and 7:53.47 respectively, a season’s best for the latter as they found themselves playing catch-up with Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s (NOR) speed. The British duo found themselves searching for space in the final four laps, being forced to settle for seventh and ninth respectively, with Norway’s Ingebrigtsen clocking 7:48.20 for gold.

Having set a personal best 1.91m in qualifying for the women’s high jump, Emily Borthwick cleared a best of 1.85m as she finished eighth on her maiden senior Championships. The Wigan & District athlete required a third time clearance at her opening height of 1.85m to progress, but three fouls at 1.89m signalled the end of the competition.

British medallists at the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships:

Gold: Keely Hodgkinson (women’s 800m), Amy-Eloise Markovc (women’s 3000m)

Silver: Holly Archer (women’s 1500m), Andrew Pozzi (men’s 60m hurdles), Cindy Sember (women’s 60m hurdles), women’s 4x400m relay

Bronze: Verity Ockenden (women’s 3000m), Jodie Williams (women’s 400m), Holly Bradshaw (women’s pole vault), Tiffany Porter (women’s 60m hurdles), Jamie Webb (men’s 800m), men’s 4x400m relay

Accidental handball that leads to a goal-scoring chance or a goal for a team-mate will no longer be penalised, say football's law makers.

Ifab confirmed the change, saying it was because of the "interpretation of handball incidents" not being applied consistently. Ifab is also looking a possible change to the law regarding offsides. Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has proposed that a player should be considered onside if any part of their body that can legally score a goal is level with the second-last defender.

Fifa will also continue to test semi-automated technology to detect offside, whereby a signal is sent to the assistant referee almost instantly. The change to the handball rule is likely to be introduced in England from July 1. It will remain a handball offence if a player scores accidentally with their hand or arm, or uses their hand or arm directly before scoring.

The International Football Association Board had tightened handball laws for the start of the 2020-21 season. However, a spate of handball decisions led to fierce criticism across the game and saw English top-flight referees ordered to be less strict about their interpretations of the law.

Premier League officials were told to particularly focus on the distance an offending player is from the ball and whether he has extended his arm outside the natural body line. Ifab clarified its interpretation of the offside law, saying the definition for handball, whereby the arm ends at the bottom of the armpit, must be used when judging whether a player is offside or not.

Wenger's proposed change to the offside law is set to be trialled in lower-league Chinese football and, if successful, could then be trialled in England, Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham said. "There are people who think it may lead to a more defensive game and others who think it would mean a more exciting game," Bullingham said. "Let's do the trial and find out."

Fifa will also continue to test semi-automated technology to detect offside, with a signal sent to the assistant referee almost instantly. That would leave referees and their assistants just needing to decide whether the offside player was interfering with play.

"Everyone recognises that when a goal is scored and fans have to wait to find out if it's a goal or not isn't a brilliant experience for the fans, particularly those in the stadium," added Bullingham. "We are looking at technology where a linesman will immediately know if a player is offside or not and have that communicated to them and that allows them to make an instant decision, so in theory for offside decisions there would be no need to go back to the video assistant referee."

Jodie Williams will be captaining the Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad at the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland this weekend.

The European and Commonwealth medallist will compete in the individual 400m for the first time at a major championship after back-to-back indoor PBs at the British Athletics European Indoor Selection Trials – 52.27 her best - saw her earn her place on the team. Williams finished fourth over 60m at the 2011 edition of the Championships and returns ten years later to compete in the 400m and 4x400m relay.

On receiving the captaincy, Williams said: “It is a huge honour to be chosen as the team captain. I was a little nervous when I was first asked but I am looking forward to it. This is my ten-year anniversary since I made a senior British team for the first time. The European Indoors (in Paris) was my first senior championships. It is cool that it has all come full circle and I am now going to be team captain.”

On her primary message to the team, especially the 15 athletes making their senior debuts for Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Torun, she said: “My biggest message would be ‘to back yourself’. It can feel quite daunting coming in as a newbie. I know I played down my aspirations on my debut, but I would say don’t do that. You have made the team in your own right, just like everyone else. Enjoy the experience and embrace it.”

On her own expectations for the championships, the 27-year-old added: “I am going there to perform. I’m a competitor, I don’t like to downplay my aspirations. It is a new event for me, but I’ll be going there to be in finals and challenge for medals. At this point in my career, that is why I’m standing on the start line.” Olympic Head Coach, Christian Malcolm added: “I’m really pleased to be announcing Jodie as the team captain of the British team for the European Athletics Indoor Championships.

She has taken herself out of her comfort zone during this indoor season, achieving an indoor PB and earning her place on the team. She has a wealth of experience to share which will be beneficial to the whole squad. I know she will lead by example, on and off the track, during the championships.”

The Rugby World Cup 2021 is set to be postponed until next year following a recommendation by governing body World Rugby. The tournament is currently scheduled to be hosted in New Zealand between 18 September and 16 October. A final decision is expected after the Rugby World Cup board and World Rugby's executive committee consider the recommendation on March 8 and 9. World Rugby said that the challenging Covid landscape influenced its decision.

It added: "It has become clear in recent discussions with key partners including New Zealand Rugby, the New Zealand government and participating unions, that, given the scale of the event and the Covid-19 related uncertainties, it is just not possible to deliver the environment for all teams to be the best that they can be on the sport's greatest stage." The country's borders are currently closed to almost all travellers and cases have recently emerged in Auckland, one of the country's host cities.

Nicky Ponsford, the Rugby Football Union's head of women's performance, said: "We are naturally disappointed but understanding of the decision.

"Player welfare has to be prioritised and ensuring teams both qualify on the pitch and can perform to their best at the tournament is also vitally important for the game."

Irish Rugby's director of women's rugby, Anthony Eddy, added: "We're obviously disappointed. We have always put player welfare at the heart of everything we do and that's never been as important as it has over the past 12 months."

New Zealand has always been viewed as one of the best places to be hosting a major sporting event in 2021, with some of the lowest Covid numbers in the world. However, hosting an additional 11 arriving Test sides and agreeing suitable quarantine arrangements has proved too much.

It is the first time the women's tournament has been hosted by a southern hemisphere nation, and it's thought the event will be rearranged for 2022.

With her cousins Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari, being international wrestlers and Commonwealth Games medalists as well, India is celebrating a ‘new fighting spirit’ with wrestler Vinesh Phogat. Now, coming from a successful family of wrestlers, she is the first Indian woman wrestler to win Gold in both Commonwealth and Asian games.

A world championships bronze medallist in 2019, she was the first Indian woman to win gold at both the Commonwealth and Asian Games. For many of today’s young hopefuls her story is an inspiration, the latest among a growing number.

The 26-year-old, who comes from a small village in the northern state of Haryana (who has markedly fewer females than males), had an upbringing that was very different. Her uncle decided that all the family's daughters should take up wrestling - which attracted opposition and controversy.

Phogat recalls: "All hell broke loose in the village when my uncle starting training us girls in the early 2000s. People called him and us names. My sisters and I all had short cropped hair and so we would wear shorts in the village and practise.

"Ladies would come up to my mother and say 'tell your daughter to at least cover her legs'. My mother would also feel ashamed, but we fought back collectively. And the international medals proved everyone wrong."

Back then, only two decades ago, there were far fewer icons to watch out for. Now she is one of many modern figures showcasing the rising spirit of Indian sportswomen.

Phogat was six-years-old when she watched on TV as Karnam Malleswari won India's first Olympic medal in female competition: a weightlifting bronze at the Sydney Olympics. “The date is still etched in my memory too” she says, as it became a watershed moment for women's sport in India.

Since then four more Indian women have claimed Olympic success; boxer Mary Kom, wrestler Sakshi Malik, and badminton stars Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu.

It is a serious scene of concentration but there can be no doubt - something very uplifting is taking place in Indian sport.